Regaining Strength
by Kora Bloom
Summary: Sequel to "Enter Fifteen". Now undergoing massive rewriting. Formerly "Overcoming Hardships".
1. Prologue

**I'd recommend reading "Enter Fifteen" first since this story directly follows it.**

**Warning: Mentions of child abuse. **

**Pairings for this fic: AxelxKoxra, RoxasxXion, and OCxCanon **

**Disclaimer: I only own Liv, her parents, anyone she goes to school with, Koxra, and Koxra and Demyx's cats.**

* * *

Nine-year-old Liv Staver was in her room, crying. Now that the shock had left her, reality was sinking in. Why did she just run into the street like that? Her mother had told her time and time again not to, but she had never listened. She had never seen that car coming around the corner.

Liv shook her head. It was too painful to continue thinking about it. If she did, she would surely never stop crying. There was a crash as her bedroom door was thrust open.

Standing in the doorway was her thirty-five-year-old father, Dave. His hazel eyes, which she had inherited, were horribly bloodshot. His dark red hair was sticking up as though he had stuck his finger in an electric socket. He took a drink from the beer bottle in his hand. Ever since the accident, he claimed that the beer was as good as medicine since it made him forget the pain.

"Get moving," he said. "I don't want to get a call from the principal about you being late again." Liv wiped her tears.

"Can't I stay home today? I feel horrible." Dave shook his head.

"Whatever. Take a nap. Throw yourself off the roof. Just don't bug me." He left and shut the door.

Liv crawled back into bed. Her father had been acting like that since he started drinking. It was as though he didn't care anymore. Had her mother still been here, he would not be acting this way. She cried harder. If she hadn't been out in the road, her mother _would_ still be here.

*Seven Years Later

Dave stood up with a beer bottle in his hand. He was rarely separated from what he had originally called his 'comfort medicine' nowadays. He eyed his now sixteen-year-old daughter as she entered the front door.

"And where were you, ya bitch?" Liv trembled.

"I just got held up. My English teacher had to talk to me." Dave hit her arm with the beer bottle.

"You know damn well not to take any longer than normal! You're lucky I let you go to school." Liv backed up. Dave could be pretty easily understood for someone who was drunk. Though, maybe it was because she had lived with him for so long. Liv knew explaining herself would likely be futile, but she had to at least _try_ to avoid extra damage.

"Please, Dad, I won't do it again. I'll come straight home next time."

"That's what ya say every time and it always happens again!" Dave snapped. "I guess you need some punishment so you learn about curfew!" He punched her in the stomach and she crashed into the table. She gasped and tried to sit up.

"Please, I promise! I'll listen!" Dave dug out a knife and shoved it in her face.

"Unless you want me to use this, go to your room and shut up!" Liv nodded and crawled to her room with tears in her eyes. Once she had managed to shut the door, she sat, leaning up against her wall. Thankfully, he hadn't been in a bad enough mood to use the knife without giving her a chance to get away tonight. She lifted her shirt and looked down. Her stomach would bruise for sure. It was a good thing she didn't have gym class tomorrow.

A thought just occurred to Liv and she headed over to her mirror. She wiped the tears that were clouding her vision and got a better look at her face. It was red from her tears and had a few cuts from the shattered glass. She would have to cover them up before she left for school tomorrow. She decided to set her alarm clock now and wait until Dave was either asleep or passed out to risk sneaking across the hall for a shower.

*the next day

"Hey, wake up." Liv opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. Apparently, Cal realized she had fallen asleep again.

"Didn't get much sleep last night," she explained in a whisper. The brown-eyed, blue-haired boy studied her.

"Looking at you, I believe it."

"Mr. Silver, perhaps you can give us an answer," said Mrs. Emmett. Cal turned to her.

"Sorry, what was the question?"

"What is the quadratic formula," asked Mrs. Emmett.

"B over four A C," Cal replied, uncertainly. Mrs. Emmett sighed.

"That is incorrect. This will be on the test next week. You should know it."

"Math never _was_ my strong suit, Mrs. Emmett," said Cal.

"Whether or not it is isn't the issue," Mrs. Emmett replied. "I get the feeling that you haven't been paying much attention all period."

"Sorry," said Cal. "I guess I'll need to control my daydreaming."

"I suggest you save it for a more appropriate time," said Mrs. Emmett.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

"Man, Liv, are you still worried about that," asked Cal. "I told you it wasn't that big of a deal. She was bound to get to me sooner or later. I think she _knows_ when I'm not paying attention."

"I thought it was because you had to wake me up," said Liv. Cal laughed.

"Come on. You know Mrs. Emmett doesn't like me much. She would've called on me whether I was waking you up or not." Liv blinked.

"I must've looked more lost than you. Why didn't she call on me?"

"I told you, she likes picking on me," said Cal. "Other than that, she probably took one look at you and felt bad enough to leave you alone."

"I look that horrible," Liv exclaimed. She dug out her mirror and looked in it. Cal sighed.

"Don't freak out. You just have pretty noticeable bags under your eyes. Your dad wasn't keeping you up by having a party last night, was he?"

"No," said Liv, putting her mirror away. "I was up late studying."

"For what," asked Cal. "You didn't say anything about having a test."

"My history grade's pretty low," said Liv. "I thought studying more would raise it."

"Well, don't make a habit out of staying up so late," said Cal. "Studying late at night won't do much good if you can't stay awake during class."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Liv. She suddenly fell to the floor as a boy and girl walked by. The boy had bumped into her and they both kept walking. Cal knelt down.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Liv answered, gritting her teeth. The boy had bumped one of her bruises.

"Hey, Quin, get back here and apologize," Cal yelled after the boy. Quin turned around.

"For what?" Cal narrowed his eyes.

"For knocking her over! What do you think?"

"I didn't knock _anyone_ over," said Quin.

"Cal, it's fine," said Liv. "He probably didn't see me."

"How could he _not_ notice knocking you over," asked Cal.

"Come _on_, Quin," said the girl, tugging on his arm. "Just ignore them." Quin allowed himself to be led away.

"Why did you stop me, Liv," asked Cal as he helped her up.

"I don't want any trouble," Liv replied. "It was an accident. He was probably daydreaming and didn't notice me." Cal sighed.

"He can still feel pressure. You have to stop letting people walk all over you. You could at _least_ say something."

"I doubt that'll happen," said Liv. "It took me _months_ to say more than two or three word sentences to you." Cal thought.

"Oh yeah. I forgot all about that. Guess I'm just so used to you talking normally to me now." Liv knew that she had only been able to become friends with him because he didn't give up. Most of her classmates hadn't given her a second glance, but Cal had talked to her nearly every day. She hadn't said much at first, but he had been patient. After a while, her short, simple answers weren't enough to uphold her end of the conversation, so she started saying more and even initiating conversations from time to time.

"I think I am too."

"So, did you set your grasshoppers loose yet," asked Cal. Liv bowed her head.

"I had to get rid of them last week. Dad found them and he said if I didn't get rid of them, he would. He also said he's had it with bugs in the house."

"None of them got out and crawled on him, did they," asked Cal. Liv shook her head. "Why doesn't he want you to bring anymore in the house, then? You never said he was afraid of bugs."

"He's not," said Liv. "They just annoy him."

"And he never bothered to ask why you keep bringing them in the house, did he," said Cal.

"He doesn't care," said Liv. "Oh no, what time is it?"

"About three twenty," said Cal, consulting his watch.

"I only have ten minutes to get home," Liv said in a panic. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"The world won't come to an end if you're a couple minutes late," said Cal.

"Sorry, but I was late last night and my dad'll be even angrier if I'm late again," said Liv. She gripped her bag and dashed out the school doors.

* * *

Liv decided that she would be able to get home just in time if she ran through the park. However, she had only been running through the park for mere minutes when she saw a crowd of people running away from where she was heading. Wondering what was going on, she skidded to a halt and looked behind the crowd.

She saw what appeared to be a huge, black cloud. There was something strange about this cloud. It was moving toward her and seemed to have many yellow dots mixed in with the black. It was then that she realized that the cloud wasn't a cloud at all. It was a swarm of some cat-sized, creatures that resembled ants. The yellow dots were their eyes.

She turned around and took off in the other direction. Between a known beating and whatever these creatures could do to her, she'd take the beating. Liv felt the ground shake as the swarm of creatures followed. Looking over her shoulder, she realized that they appeared to be gaining on her. Could she lose them if she took enough turns? She didn't have time to try it as she tripped. She couldn't react fast enough to avoid the rock on the ground.

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated. Constructive criticism, even more so. **


	2. Ch1 A Fresh Start

**Disclaimer: I only own Liv, Cal, Oris Koxra, Nikki, and Pocket (Koxra and Demyx's cats).**

* * *

"Dude, you up yet?" Demyx groaned and rolled over. "Hey, either you open the door, or I'll just invite myself in." The Nocturne kicked his blankets off and went to the door.

"Xiggy, what's so important that you had to get me up on my day off?"

"Xemnas wants you in his office," said Xigbar. "Something about a new Proof."

"Why does it have to be _me_," Demyx whined. "Couldn't someone else go so I can catch up on my sleep?"

"Everyone else is either on a mission or holed up in their lab if it's Vexen," said Xigbar. "Even X-Face headed out." Demyx chuckled at that. "Good name for him, huh?"

"He wouldn't think so," said Demyx. "Still, that doesn't explain why _you_ can't go."

"I have to get going myself after I'm done hauling you out of bed," Xigbar replied.

"Well, unless Xemnas wants me to show up in my underwear, he'll have to wait a little longer," said Demyx. Xigbar chuckled.

"Just head there as soon as you're ready. See you later." Demyx shut the door as the Freeshooter disappeared into a portal. He paused to look for Pocket and found the cat asleep on a spare blanket that had been shoved in the corner. He would make sure his bedroom door and the bathroom door were closed before he left. Axel was due back today and wouldn't want the feline wandering into his room with no one there to watch him. Demyx dumped some food into the cat's dish and proceeded to search his closet for clothes. He would tend to Pocket's litter box when he returned.

A new Proof had appeared. He wondered how long it would take to find this new member. What world were they from? What was their gender? Xemnas would certainly give him those details. Still, other than that, he would have little to go on. How could one pick a Nobody out of a crowd? As he hadn't been on a recruiting mission himself, he had no idea. It couldn't be too hard, could it? Perhaps he should've asked Xigbar before he left.

* * *

"Superior, exactly how am I supposed to find this girl," asked Demyx. "Actually, how am I supposed to know if someone is a Nobody?"

"I should think that would be obvious, Nine," Xemnas replied. "A lack of pulse would be a giveaway, but that would require you to be close to the person. As for finding someone, you must pay attention to what people in the general area are saying. If anything sounds as though it has something to do with Heartless, you will have a lead."

"Okay, I'll try that," said Demyx as he stepped into a portal wondering how he would figure anything out if he was to remain in the shadows.

* * *

After discretely asking around, (and praying that Xemnas would never find out about it) Demyx headed in the direction of the park where a Heartless attack was said to have happened. Up ahead, he spotted a black-haired girl sitting against a tree. He thought it was unlikely that she was shaking from the cold since it was a pretty warm day. As he got closer, intending to question her, he realized that she was crying. Should he try to calm her down so he could interrogate her or should he just pass her by?

His choice was made for him when she looked up. Her eyes widened and the tears stopped. Demyx couldn't quite place the look she was giving him. Was it a look a fear? No, that was impossible. He was far from being intimidating. Still, it appeared that this girl was scared of him for some reason.

He could just walk away, but something was telling him that questioning her was vital, so he approached her. She seemed frozen to the spot until he got within two feet of her. She managed to dash behind the tree. The rational thing probably would've been to take off running, but it seemed like rational thought had abandoned her.

"What are you afraid of," Demyx asked. "It's not me, is it?" She poked her head out from behind the tree and nodded slowly. "I can't say I was expecting that. I don't think I'm scary looking."

"Black," she said so softly that he barely heard it. "Like the monsters." Now things were starting to make sense.

"I'm not one of them," Demyx said simply. "I just want to ask you some questions. I won't hurt you." She cautiously stepped away from the tree, but stopped once she was no longer hidden by it. He realized that this was probably the closest she would get. "So, you saw the monsters when they came through?"

"Yes," she replied, looking at her feet.

"Why are you still here, then," asked Demyx. "I heard that happened yesterday afternoon."

"Just woke up," she said. She came back after waking up this morning? No, that would be unlikely since the Heartless had obviously scared her. It didn't seem like she would return the next day in case they were still around. There was only one thing that made sense.

"You woke up here? Why did you stay here?"

"I tripped." She must have been unconscious for a while. Looking closer, Demyx did see some blood near her forehead. Wait a minute. If she had tripped and been knocked out…

"Can you check your pulse," he asked, realizing that she would probably run if he moved forward an inch. She hesitated at first, but decided to do so. She first felt her wrist and then her neck. Then, she repeated the process three more times before nearly falling over. "Take it easy. I know the first time you realize you don't have one is scary."

"How did you know," she asked, meeting his eyes for the first time since she left her hiding place.

"I don't have one either," Demyx explained. "Those monsters you mentioned are called Heartless. They steal hearts and it would've been pretty easy for them to steal yours while you were knocked out."

"My heart," she asked, clutching her chest where it would be. Demyx sighed. The next step wouldn't be an easy one.

"Listen, I'm not really good at explaining things. But, I know someone who's pretty good at it and would probably be more detailed. I also know someone who could take a look at your head for you." She felt her head as though she just realized there was a gash on it. "What do you say?"

"I'm sorry," she said. "But—"

"Go ahead, Liv." A blue-haired boy around the same age as the girl had appeared. How much he had heard, Demyx couldn't be sure.

"Cal, what do you mean?"

"Oris wanted me to tell you that."

"But, why? And why didn't _she_ come?"

"Well, that fortune-teller friend of hers told her that she wasn't here and you know how she is with that stuff. I figured I'd just show up to humor her. I didn't expect to find you here talking to someone who looked exactly like she described." This was strange. She seemed to be talking more now. Maybe this was a friend of hers. Though, what he said was unbelievable. He left Demyx wondering why he was taking the advice of a fortune-teller if he didn't believe in such things.

"You want me to go?"

"Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not saying that I don't want you here anymore and I'm not saying this because of some fortune Oris passed onto me. I'm saying this because I'm sure I know what's going on at your house."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'd be better off not going back. I think you'd be happier if you didn't."

"Alright, if that's what you think," she said after a couple minutes of silence.

"Not that I don't appreciate the help or anything, but how exactly do you know I won't do anything bad," asked Demyx.

"If you really wanted to hurt her or do anything else bad, I don't think you would've been trying to calm her down and being careful not to get too close," said the boy. Demyx had to admit that he had a point. Maybe he should just stop questioning the boy's ability to judge people and be grateful that he managed to convince his friend to leave.

"That _does_ make sense. Even if what you're doing is pretty weird."

"Yeah, I can see why someone would think it is," said the boy. "I'm Cal, by the way. And she's Liv."

"I'm Demyx," the Nocturne replied. At the same time, he was wondering why this subject hadn't come up before now.

"Oh, one more thing," said Cal. "She can come back here from time to time, can't she?"

"Sure she can," said Demyx. "I know people who go back to their old homes every so often."

"Alright," said Cal. "I have to let Oris know what's going on. Take care, Liv!"

"Bye, Cal," said Liv as he left the area. Demyx watched him go and turned to Liv, who had appeared to adopt her earlier scared behavior. He figured she was either shy or nervous about what she was about to do.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes," she replied softly. He scanned the area. After seeing no one else, he opened a portal and was unsurprised by Liv's flinch.

"You don't have to be afraid. It isn't dangerous. All you have to do is walk through it." Liv inched forward cautiously and stuck one of her fingers in the portal. She withdrew it and saw that it was unharmed. Demyx was even sure he saw her relax a little. He was about to suggest they make their way through the portal when he remembered something. "It wouldn't be too much to ask that you don't mention your friend showing up, would it?"

"Why," asked Liv, curiously. Demyx scratched his head.

"Well, the boss always gives orders to do things by sneaking around and not being seen. Unfortunately, quite a few people have seen me today." Liv nodded.

"Okay. I understand."

* * *

"Man, that was a relief," said Roxas as he sank down to the floor.

"I told you I'd take care of things, didn't I," said Axel. "He doesn't have to know that almost the whole town saw us fighting the thing because it flung you into a building."

"Yeah, thanks for leaving that part out," said Roxas.

"Come on," said Axel. "Even if you flung yourself into the building, I wouldn't tell him. Now, how about we go clean up?" Roxas, who was almost completely covered in mud, agreed. "Maybe I should go bug Demyx some."

"Why," asked Roxas.

"Because, on my last day off, he woke me up with that sitar when he came back," said Axel.

"What if he left the Castle," Roxas asked.

"Then I'll bug him when he gets back," said Axel. "But, he doesn't really leave the Castle much on his days off if he can help it. Well, sometimes he goes shopping for something music-related or he leaves and buys himself some lunch from somewhere."

"Why buy his own lunch when he can stay here and make himself a sandwich or something," asked Roxas. "He wouldn't have to spend any munny."

"Same reason we go out and buy ice cream," said Axel. Roxas blinked.

"He eats lunch at the top of the Station Tower?" Axel chuckled.

"I meant because he likes to. He can eat at the Castle any old time. I'm sure he goes and buys his own food just to treat himself or something like that."

"So, we're treating ourselves when we buy ice cream," said Roxas.

"Exactly," Axel replied. "I'll go see if Demyx is in his room before we head to the tower. And you can see if Xion's back yet. If they aren't, I guess we'll just head out and hope they don't keep us waiting until dinner."

* * *

"The wound to your head should heal in a matter of days. Now, I will need to give you a complete examination."

"Wait a minute," said Demyx. "That doesn't mean you want her to strip, does it?"

"I am not asking her to get completely naked, Nine," Vexen replied. "However, some articles of clothing must be removed. How else am I to be sure there are no physical abnormalities?"

"So you did this with Larxene, Xion, and Koxra too," asked Demyx.

"I assumed you were aware that I acted as a doctor," said Vexen. "Certain examinations require partial nudity. The reason is entirely professional. You have had this done as well, if you recall."

"I remember it being very uncomfortable," said Demyx.

"D-do I have to," asked Liv.

"The quicker I finish my examination, the quicker you may leave," said Vexen. Seeing no alternative, Liv, with trembling hands, complied. Deciding that Vexen needing to examine her like this was uncomfortable enough, Demyx averted his gaze. "What is your age?"

"S-sixteen," Liv replied. Vexen spent the rest of the exam mostly muttering to himself and taking note of things.

"Those other injuries surely didn't come from tripping," he said as Liv put her shirt and pants back on.

"I fell down stairs," said Liv, hastily. Vexen didn't seem to believe her, but he didn't press the issue. He merely stated that some of them may scar. The Nocturne assumed the injuries weren't bad enough that Vexen would need to call too much attention to them, though if they had been that bad, Liv likely wouldn't have been able to move around on her own.

"Have you taken her to the Superior," asked Vexen.

"Since she was bleeding, I thought I'd get her looked at first," Demyx replied. "I'll go do that now."

* * *

"Why the name," asked the newly-named Vilx. Demyx shrugged.

"No idea. It's just how it is. When we join, we get a new name. It's basically just our old name with the letters mixed up and an 'x' thrown in. I never figured out why the 'x' got thrown in. One of the Founders probably know, buy they aren't telling me." Vilx blinked.

"Founders?"

"The ones who are numbered from one to six," Demyx explained. He laughed. "Hey, I just thought of something. You said you were sixteen, right?"

"Yes," Vilx replied.

"You're also the sixteenth member which means your number is sixteen," said Demyx. "Too bad it won't still be like that on your next birthday, huh?"

"So this is where you ran off to? And here I thought you'd be playing your sitar somewhere." Demyx looked ahead.

"I didn't know I had to check in with you, Axel."

"That's not the problem, idiot," said Axel. "Roxas, Xion, and I figured you went somewhere and were having too much fun to bother showing up, but I come back and find you roaming around with whoever that is."

"This is Vilx," said Demyx. "I found her in Hollow Bastion." The girl now appeared to be cowering behind him. Was she that scared of Axel? Well, the Nocturne's first meeting with her had a similar reaction. Perhaps meeting new people scared her. However, she seemed to be shaking uncontrollably and was attempting to make herself smaller. She hadn't done that when meeting Demyx. Come to think of it, she hadn't been this scared when meeting Vexen or Xemnas either.

"So, she's a new member," said Axel.

"Yeah," said Demyx. "Everyone else was busy, so I got sent out."

"Nice of you to leave a note," said Axel, sarcastically. "If I knew you were off on a mission, I would've had Roxas and Xion wait a little longer."

"I didn't think about it," said Demyx.

"Well, can't do anything about it now," said Axel. "Vilx, right? I'm Axel. Got it memorized?" Vilx peaked out from behind Demyx. She knew she was being illogical. This was not _him_ after all. Had her nerves gotten so bad that a similar hair color had the same effect? Acting like this wasn't exactly fair to Axel. She just met him. He had done nothing to her. She tried to reply, but all that came out was a squeak. "Cat got your tongue?"

"S-sorry," Vilx managed to croak out.

"Is she okay," Axel asked. "She's shaking like a leaf."

"I think I should just show her where her room is," said Demyx, guiding her past Axel. "I'll see you later."

* * *

"So, what was that about," Demyx asked when they had reached a door with XVI on it.

"I'm sorry," said Vilx. "Does Axel think I'm strange?"

"He looked more confused than anything," said Demyx. "I don't think he's actually had that happen before. Well, I've seen people run from him while he was fighting, but they've never been afraid when he was just walking around." He wondered how she would react to seeing him fight if her earlier reaction was any sample. "I'll talk to him later."

"Thank you," said Vilx.

"No problem," Demyx replied. "I might as well see if Koxra's in before I let you get settled." He went to a door that had the XV on it and knocked. It was opened by a girl with cerulean hair and cerulean eyes.

"Hey, Demyx. Is she a new member?"

"Yeah," said Demyx. "Her name's Vilx. Vilx, this is Koxra."

"Oh, hi," said Koxra.

"H-hi," said Vilx.

"So, I guess I have a neighbor now," said Koxra. "You don't mind cats, do you?"

"No," said Vilx.

"And you're not superstitious," asked Koxra.

"No," said Vilx.

"The reason I ask is because my cat happens to be black," said Koxra, sensing the confusion.

"Oh," said Vilx.

"Not a big talker, are you," said Koxra.

"No," said Vilx.

"That's okay," said Koxra. "I'm sure you'll get comfortable enough to say more one day."

* * *

**I originally wanted to add another scene, but I think I'll just summarize it in the next chapter instead. Otherwise, this could sit on my computer longer. Also, I really hope that the scene with convincing Vilx to go with Demyx is believable. If it's a little strange, let me know how I can improve.**


	3. Ch2 A New Reality

**Disclaimer: I only own Vilx, Koxra, Nikki, and Pocket. Also, the Golden Sun series is owned by Camelot and Nintendo.**

* * *

Vilx woke up in a strange, white room. She really _was_ away from her father. She wondered how long it would take for her to stop thinking she would wake up in her old bedroom. Was being here simply a dream or was her old life the dream? What if neither one had been the dream? Had she really lived that previous life with her father?

She shook her head. These thoughts were too confusing in the morning. For now, she decided to just assume that what she was living now was, in fact reality.

Hearing voices coming from the other side of the bathroom door, she went to investigate. One of them was Koxra, who stayed in that room, but the other one, she couldn't quite place. All she could figure out was that it was male. No longer able to contain her curiosity, Vilx pressed her ear to the bathroom door.

"So, do you know what he told me he thought?"

"Axel, stop beating around the bush." Vilx felt a chill.

"According to Demyx, I scare the hell out of her," said Axel. Koxra laughed.

"Well, you can be pretty creepy when you don't do your hair."

"I'm not joking," said Axel.

"I didn't think it would bug you that much if someone you just met was scared of you," said Koxra. "Unless you were trying to get information out of them, that is."

"The fact that she's scared doesn't really bug me," said Axel. "What bugs me is that I can't figure out why." Koxra shrugged.

"Maybe she thinks you're too tall."

"That can't be it," Axel snapped. "Are you even _trying_ to think of a reason? I thought you loved solving puzzles like this."

"Puzzle _games_," said Koxra. "Besides, why would I do that? I can tell she's scared. Why make it worse?"

"I guess I'll just have to figure it out myself."

"Axel, don't. If she's scared of you, asking her about it will probably make things worse. Just leave it alone and try to be nice to her."

"Be nice to her? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe then she'll relax and stop cowering in fear when she sees you. Whatever reason she has for being scared of you is her business. You'll just have to wait for when or if she decides to tell you the reason."

"Did you take a liking to her already, Kosh?"

"I barely know her, so I can't tell if I like her or not."

"Any reason you're making sure I don't scare her more?"

"Well, having to mentor someone who ends up getting too scared to leave her room won't help me any. On top of that, I guess I kinda feel sorry for her. Can you even begin to think of how hard it is for her to talk to people?"

"And how would you know anything about shy people?"

"My brother was almost exactly like her until I was ten. I sort of have an idea on how to work with shy people."

"Why didn't you mention that before?"

"It never came up. Hey, when do you randomly tell tales about _your_ past?"

"I don't think it's necessary except for a couple stupid things now and then. Alright, I see your point."

"Yeah, I would think that most people don't want to hear someone's entire life story." There was a few moments of silence. "Won't you get in trouble for being late for you mission?"

"Don't have one. The lapdog gave me a personal day. I guess _you'll_ be babysitting instead of doing missions for a while."

"I like the word 'instructing' better, but we'll have to find out her element first."

"Forget the element. I heard she's another one with a weird weapon."

"And whose weapons are you comparing it to?"

"Let's see: a book, a sitar, cards, a Keyblade, a pen, and then there's Xemmy's laser-sword things."

"That's funny, I thought he called them ethereal blades. And what's wrong with a pen?"

"Seems like a weird thing to have for a weapon."

"This from a guy who uses spiky wheels."

"They're called chakrams!"

"Well, you made fun of my pen first," Koxra pointed out.

"Before you joined, I never heard of a pen being a weapon," said Axel. "So, how about you don't pick on my weapons and I won't pick on yours?"

"Deal," said Koxra.

"Good," said Axel. "Wait a minute, when did you get enough munny for a laptop?"

"I just brought it from home the other day," said Koxra. "I've been bringing things here from my old house a little bit at a time since the first time I had time off. That and my Nintendo DS with its accessories and games were the last things I had to bring over."

"Didn't think you played video games," said Axel.

"I don't play them much," said Koxra. "That's part of the reason that I waited so long to bring that stuff here. I do play games like the Golden Sun series. Sure they have fighting in them, but they also have plenty of puzzles to solve."

"A fighting game that makes you solve puzzles, huh," said Axel. "I'll pass on that one. I don't like games that make me think too much."

"Yeah, mindlessly blowing up computer generated images is good enough for you," said Koxra.

"Random acts of violence against computer generated images never hurt anyone," Axel pointed out.

"I guess," said Koxra. "Listen, not to be rude or anything, but you should probably get out of here before Vilx wakes up."

"Guess I'll see you at breakfast, then," said Axel. Vilx waited for his footsteps to die away and then got into bed and pretended to be asleep. She didn't think it would be a good idea for Koxra to find out she had been eavesdropping. There was a knock on the other side of the bathroom door and she sat up and pretended she had just woken up.

"C-come in." Koxra opened the door and entered.

"I didn't wake you up did I?"

"C-coincidence," said Vilx, getting out of bed.

"Short answers, huh," said Koxra. "Oh well. I guess I'll take what I can get. Maybe you'll manage to get rid of that stutter at least."

"Sorry," said Vilx.

"Don't apologize for having a problem like that," said Koxra. "There's no reason for it and that's not usually the kind of thing someone expects an apology for."

"Okay," said Vilx.

"I didn't explain why I'm here yet, did I," said Koxra. "I'll be mentoring you for a while. Basically teaching you how to fight and what you're supposed to do. You know, that sort of thing." Vilx gulped.

"Fight?"

"Don't worry," said Koxra. "It doesn't take long to get used to it, but that can wait. First is breakfast, so you better get your uniform on."

"The black stuff?"

"Exactly. You'll only have the one coat, pair of pants, and pair of boots until more get made. Apparently they have uniform sets in every size they can think of so new members have no excuse not to wear them. Hold on, I just thought of something. You don't really have anything but the clothes you came here in, do you?"

"No," said Vilx.

"If you want, we could pop by your house later so you could pick some up," said Koxra. Vilx shook.

"No, that's okay."

_"Wonder why she doesn't want to stop by her house,"_ Koxra thought. _"Maybe her room's really messy and it's embarrassing. No, that's stupid. She probably just doesn't want to have to explain a complete stranger to her parents or something. Yeah, that makes more sense._ I'm sure we can figure out something. I'd lend you some clothes, but," she paused for a minute and looked Vilx up and down, "I don't think I have anything that's small enough to fit you. Actually, you're closer to Xion's size. I wonder if she has anything. How about I ask her after breakfast?"

Vilx thought. Koxra probably already thought it was strange that she wanted to avoid going to her house. She didn't have many options. Koxra was at least trying to be friendly. If they went to her house and her dad was there, the blue-haired girl might ask questions. How would she be able to answer questions without making the answers seem too suspicious? On the other hand, Koxra was suggesting that they ask another girl that Vilx hadn't yet met if she could borrow some of her clothes. What if she didn't agree? What if she did agree? Either way, it was sure to be awkward. In the end, she had to go with the lesser of two evils.

"Okay."

* * *

"Xaldin, is there a reason you have fruit sitting out," asked Axel.

"It's obviously meant for eating," Xaldin replied. "And fruit does not require much preparation."

"Oh, and here I thought you were on a health kick," said Axel. Roxas snorted.

"Axel, if he was on a health kick, _he'd_ be eating the fruit," said Koxra. Saix hit him in the head with a manila folder.

"What was that for," Axel asked.

"Unless you'd prefer being in trouble with the Superior, I suggest you pay attention when being given a mission," Saix replied.

"You didn't have to hit me with it," said Axel.

"It seemed to be the quickest way to get your attention," said Saix as he walked off.

"I'm actually surprised he didn't shove it in your face instead," said Roxas.

"Shut up," said Axel. "I don't want him getting any ideas."

"I can't see him doing that anyhow," said Koxra. "Seems a little too childish."

"And hitting me with it _wasn't_," said Axel.

"Not as much as shoving it in your face would've been," said Koxra. "Still, you should pay attention so you don't have to explain to Xemnas why the paper was too soggy to read again."

"You'd think the second-in-command would make sure someone has a hold on the mission contents before he lets go," said Axel.

"But, didn't that end up happening a while after Saix walked away from you," asked Demyx.

"He was probably hoping no one would remember that so he could blame it on Saix," said Roxas.

"Can it, half-pint," Axel snapped.

"That's the best you can come up with," said Roxas, smirking. Koxra shook her head while trying to suppress a giggle.

Vilx sat picking at her food and glancing nervously in Axel's direction. She was feeling slightly more relaxed than she had when she met him in the hallway yesterday. Perhaps it was because there were more people around. She should be more relaxed, but, other than her fear of Axel, a couple of the other members looked intimidating. The blonde woman sitting at the other end of the table seemed like someone whose bad side Vilx wouldn't want to be on. Xaldin, the one who had prepared the food, was rather big and had muscle to him. Her mother had mentioned that appearances can be deceiving, but it was hard for Vilx to believe.

Lexaeus, whom Koxra and she had met in the hallway earlier, had a build similar to Xaldin. He hadn't said much, but Koxra told her that was normal for him and she shouldn't take offense to it. Vilx hadn't even thought of taking offense to it. Somehow, Lexaeus scared her more by not saying much. This was ridiculous, though. She had to stop being scared of the other members. Surely, if she did nothing bad to them, they would return the favor.

"Hey, Xion, can I talk to you in the hall after breakfast," asked Koxra. Vilx snapped back to reality and stared at the black-haired girl she had been addressing. She could already see why Koxra thought borrowing clothes from her would work. She began to relax more. Xion didn't look scary. Though, maybe that was because she was small.

"Sure, I guess," said Xion. "Why can't you just talk to me now, though?"

"Because it's not really something I want to broadcast to the whole Organization during breakfast," said Koxra.

"Okay," said Xion.

* * *

"Well, Xion, this is Vilx," said Koxra. "Demyx found her in Hollow Bastian yesterday."

"Nice to meet you," said Xion.

"Hi," Vilx said.

"But couldn't you have just introduced us during breakfast," asked Xion.

"No, that's not the reason I want to talk to you," said Koxra. "Demyx only brought her here with the clothes on her back and whatever was in that backpack she had. So—"

"You were wondering if I could let her borrow some clothes," said Xion.

"Exactly," said Koxra. "Anything I let her wear would be too big. Same thing with Larxene, but I can't see her agreeing to it even if I _would_ ask her."

"Well, we do look like we're roughly the same size," said Xion. "But why couldn't you just take her to her house for some?"

"Imagine trying to explain things to her family, if they were there," said Koxra.

"Oh, so she wasn't living alone like you," asked Xion.

"I'm assuming she wasn't since Demyx found her with a backpack," said Koxra. "I can't be sure, but I'm guessing you were going home from school, right?"

"Yes," said Vilx.

"And schools, well, at least where I come from, either had tuition or taxes and I don't think you had a job, did you, Vilx," said Koxra.

"No," Vilx replied.

"There you go, Xion," said Koxra. "So, her parents or guardians had to be the ones who paid."

"Wait, so schools have people pay munny to send their kids there," asked Xion.

"The school has to pay its expenses _somehow_," said Koxra. "Imagine trying to get enough teachers, janitors, cafeteria staff, etcetera to do their jobs for free. I'm not saying there isn't the odd person who would, but most of them want paid. How else would those people pay for things?"

"When you put it that way, it makes sense," said Xion

"Exactly," said Koxra. "So, do you have any clothes Vilx can borrow?" Xion laughed.

"Wow, I can't believe I forgot what we were talking about in the first place. I'm sure I can find some things for her to wear. How many outfits does she need?"

"How about we go to your room and figure that out," Koxra suggested.

"It'll have to be after I get back from my mission," said Xion. "I don't want Saix to find out I didn't leave yet."

"Oh, right," said Koxra, scratching her head. "I forgot about that. We'll see you later, then."

"Bye," said Xion as she disappeared into a portal.

"So, Vilx, have you been to look at your Proof of Existence," asked Koxra.

"Last night," Vilx replied.

"And what was on it? Axel mentioned something about it being weird."

"Scissors."

"So, your weapon's a giant pair of scissors? That's not that weird. I guess your first lesson will be how to summon your weapon."

"Summon?"

"You didn't think we had a giant pair of scissors here for you to pick up and swing around, did you?"

"Kind of," Vilx admitted, staring at her feet.

"Hey, you don't have to be embarrassed," said Koxra. "Actually, I'm trying to decide whether or not you were lucky that Zexion is off on a mission right now. Well, maybe you _are_ lucky because he gets very involved with his explanations. If he had explained things to you, it probably would've taken half the night. But, the bad news for me is that now I get to explain things."

"I'm sorry," said Vilx.

"Okay, why are you apologizing," asked Koxra. "You didn't do anything wrong. It would be stupid to expect you to come here automatically knowing everything. C'mon, let's get you to the training room."

* * *

**I thought I'd add this just in case I get asked. Yes, Koxra could figure things out by reading Vilx's mind, but she doesn't want to invade her privacy by doing so. Koxra doesn't go around randomly reading any of the other members' minds for the same reason.**


	4. Ch3 Determination and Discovery

**Disclaimer: I only own Covenant, anyone who is in or is connected to the Circle (living or dead), Vilx, Koxra, Nikki, and Pocket.**

* * *

"Vilx, we can't get anywhere if you keep flinching like that," said Koxra as she backed off once again.

"I'm sorry," Vilx squeaked, trying to stop shaking. She couldn't exactly help flinching. It had become a reflex now. She supposed she could try dodging instead. If she didn't shut her eyes every time Koxra lunged at her, that is.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, you know," said Koxra. "If I was, I wouldn't be backing off when you flinched."

"I know," said Vilx, trying to calm herself down. "I'm just afraid."

"I kinda figured that out from the flinching," said Koxra. She banished her pen. "You know what, maybe we should just have you work with your element and leave the fighting practice for later." Vilx banished her scissors, glad for a change. "According to those stone things Vexen used on you, you should have telekinesis. Great, maybe I should've read something about this first since I have no idea what to tell you to do to activate it."

"What about focusing," Vilx offered. Koxra stroked her chin.

"Seems like it makes the most sense. Wait a minute, you need things to practice on. I'll be back." With that, she disappeared into a portal.

Vilx sat down with a sigh. At least working on her element would buy some time for her to figure out what to do about her flinching problem. How was she supposed to get rid of a habit that had become an instinctual response for her whenever she saw danger coming toward her? Cal would probably be able to help her, but she didn't yet know how to portal, so someone would have to take her to see him. Unless she could go alone, she wouldn't get the chance to talk things over with him.

The only other options she could think of were to come up with some trick herself or ask Koxra about it. However, if she asked Koxra, she would probably have to explain how her flinching is an instinct. The only problem with that would be that Vilx might have to give a reason for the instinctual flinching. She couldn't give the real reason. After all, she hadn't told anyone. Could she fabricate a reason? She had never really been a convincing liar.

Yet, maybe it would be fine explaining her flinching without going into further detail. Koxra hadn't tried to press her into explaining why she didn't talk much or look people in the eye, why she shook every time Axel was near, or why she had only chosen long-sleeved shirts and pants from what Xion had offered her.

"Hey, I'm back," Koxra announced, placing feathers and some small pillows on the floor. "I thought it would be a good idea to start with soft things in case they accidentally hit one of us."

"Oh, right," said Vilx. She would have to make her decision later.

* * *

"Man, Zex, you look beat," said Axel as the Schemer closed the portal behind him.

"It appears that our friends have figured something out since our last escapade in Covenant," Zexion replied, leaning against the wall. "The Superior must be informed."

"Wait, was one of them after you," asked Axel. Zexion nodded.

"Fortunately, I was able to slip away. We may just have to avoid that world altogether or risk them discovering what they want to know about us." Axel thought.

"Wonder why they're on such high alert? Hang on, does this mean that they _can_ travel to different worlds like we can?"

"That seems to be the case," said Zexion. "Though I haven't the slightest idea what method of transportation allows them to do so. Due to this new dilemma, it would be wise to keep watch for them." He headed out of the Grey Area and down the hallway.

Why exactly were these women following them around? Would it be wise to try and question one of them? Was it even possible to catch one of them? Axel recalled the young girl he had met over half a year ago in Wonderland. Was it possible that she had been one of them? Wait, why would she have helped Koxra if she was?

If she was one of them, why did she help Koxra? The one known as Rioris had likely been one of them as well and yet she tried to kill Koxra. Which was their goal: to help the Organization or to hurt them? How much did they know about the Organization and what the members did? Was that girl who showed up in Wonderland simply different from the others in the group or were they somehow forcing her to help them?

More importantly, why was he thinking about this right now? Well, that was enough of that. He wasn't on a mission, so it was about time his brain got a break. A nap sounded nice, but he didn't feel like getting up at the moment. He had no reason to anyway. The couch was comfortable enough.

* * *

"Why is it that none of you have been able to contact Cyril," asked Cria.

"He apparently just vanished," Kayla replied. "His lab and home in Hollow Bastion have been abandoned and we have been unable to come across anything that may lead us to him." Cria stroked her chin.

"This is very curious behavior for him. Could this really be due to the demise of Rioris?"

Luna wondered how anyone could talk about a death so casually. Still, this _was_ Cria. People were nothing but pawns to her. Luna had originally suspected that Cyril was cut from the same cloth, but his recent actions were causing her to do some rethinking.

It was common knowledge to everyone in the Circle that Rioris had been Cyril's lover. Even so, science had always seemed to be the love of Cyril's life. Luna hadn't expected such a reaction to Rioris dying. Their relationship had seemed to be nothing more than a casual partnership at best. Could her original assessment have been wrong? Had Cyril really loved Rioris? If so, he was an excellent actor.

If Cyril had actually loved Rioris, it was possible that he could be grieving or seeking revenge. Luna suspected the latter. She just couldn't picture him crying or looking sadly upon a picture of Rioris.

"So, if Cyril can't be found, is it even worth it to keep Miss Space Cadet with us," asked Kairen. Luna snapped back to reality. Would she and her brother finally be free?

"Do use your brain, Kairen," said Cria. "She knows far too much about us now to be set free." Kairen scoffed.

"Why not just kill her and the boy and be done with it, then? It's not like either one of them are useful." Luna's heart skipped a beat and she fought the urge to gulp.

"I have reasons for keeping them in our clutches," Cria replied. "I'm asking that you respect them and stop pestering me with pointless questions." The original reason Luna and her brother had ended up being involved with the Circle was due to their mother. Apparently, she had had an attack of conscious and betrayed them. However, with her gone, Cria was trying to make use of her children. Why she didn't just kill them both when she realized that Luna wasn't much use was unknown. What possible reasons could Cria have for continuing to hold them prisoner? "Still, in order to be useful, Luna, you and Nina will be looking for Cyril."

"We aren't just allowing him to do whatever he's doing," Nina asked.

"It's possible that he has information about these Nobodies or some of the species of Heartless," said Cria. "He still remains an asset to us and must be located."

"Shouldn't we give him time to mourn or whatever it is he's doing," asked Nina.

"If we do that, we could lose all hope of finding him," said Cria. "So, I don't want to hear anymore pointless questions."

"Yes, ma'am," said Nina.

* * *

"So, the Psychic Image, huh?"

"Yes," Vilx replied, quietly. She was starting to feel less nervous, but that didn't mean she could look up at him yet.

"Xemnas decided that it was the right time to name her Proof since she's getting the hang of her element now," said Koxra.

"I guess that means she'll soon be out in the field," said Axel. Koxra scratched her head.

"Well, that might take a little longer. She's been having some issues fighting with her weapon, so I think that needs worked on."

"So, you went and moved onto the element training," said Axel. He stared at the black-haired girl in front of him, wondering what problems she could be having fighting with her weapon.

"Hey, I know she'll have to learn that in the end, but I thought it was best to put it off for a while," said Koxra. "You'll be ready when we get back to it, won't you, Vilx?"

"Yes," said Vilx.

"I'm surprised Xemnas hasn't asked what was going on yet," said Axel. "It's been almost two months. New members are usually ready to start basic missions by now."

"Everyone picks things up at different paces, Axel," said Koxra. "Besides, I already told Xemnas I'd get back to the combat training in a couple days."

Time was running out and Vilx didn't seem to be making much progress with her flinching problem. She knew she had to try harder. Koxra had been pretty nice to her, so she didn't want to get her in trouble by failing with training. Should she just explain things? Well, not 'explain things' entirely. It was possible to come up with some type of explanation for her flinching, though. She just had to think up one before Koxra had her resume combat training.

"Hey, Vilx, you're not gonna stand here all day, are you?"

"Huh," said Vilx. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed Axel leave. "Oh, sorry." She had the feeling that Koxra had tried to get her attention numerous times.

"For a minute there, I thought you were sleeping standing up with your eyes open," said Koxra.

"I just spaced out," said Vilx. "Sorry." Koxra sighed.

"We _really_ need to work on your apologizing problem." Vilx blinked in confusion. "I mean how you apologize when you don't need to. It gets a little annoying sometimes." She held up her hand. "And _don't_ start apologizing for apologizing too much or I might just lose my mind." Vilx giggled. "That might just be the first time I've seen you laugh since you've been here. You usually seem pretty depressed."

"Do I," asked Vilx.

"Well, yeah," said Koxra. "You know, you can relax and have fun every once in a while. It's not against the rules or anything. And it's not against the rules to go to sleep early so you don't walk around with bags under your eyes."

"It's that bad," asked Vilx.

"Yeah," said Koxra. "You look like you went days without sleeping."

"I guess I'll have to work on getting more sleep," said Vilx.

* * *

Vilx panted as she dodged another Shadow. At least she no longer shut her eyes when they came at her. Still, would she be able to react the same way tomorrow when she resumed combat training? After all, she had only just gotten rid of the flinching ten minutes ago after working at it for the past couple weeks.

Should she work on countering their attacks? Then again, she told Koxra she would try to get more sleep and it had already been roughly four hours since she sneaked out of the Castle to practice in the city. Thankful that no big Heartless were around, she ran and didn't stop until she reached Nothing's Call where she leaned against the wall for several minutes, trying to catch her breath.

Once she felt like she was able, Vilx began her long journey up to her bedroom. She was thankful that she had chosen to shower in the morning. Koxra was likely already asleep and may get suspicious if the shower was running at this time of night. When she had finally entered her room and changed, she collapsed onto her bed, hoping for a sleep free of nightmares.

* * *

"Demyx!" The Nocturne raised his head. The annoyed look on Koxra's face told him she had been trying to get his attention for a while.

"Oh, sorry. Did you want something?"

"Have you seen Vilx anywhere," asked Koxra.

"With as involved as I've been in my music, I probably wouldn't have noticed her even if she set off fireworks in front of me," said Demyx with a laugh. He suddenly took in what the Mind Mage was wearing. "Any reason you're walking around the Castle in your pajamas?" Koxra face-palmed.

"You have no idea what time it is, do you? It's past midnight."

"Wait, so _why_ exactly do you want to know where Vilx is in the middle of the night?"

"Because I was going to the bathroom earlier and I noticed that it didn't look like she was in bed," said Koxra. "Yeah, it probably wasn't right for me to creep into her room and make sure, but I had to find out if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not."

"Man, I'm glad I don't have you for a roommate," said Demyx. "Axel and I don't creep into each other's rooms in the middle of the night."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm extremely indecent and I was invading her privacy," said Koxra. "I get the picture. I have no idea what I was thinking. Oh wait a minute, I wasn't. That's it, I wasn't thinking. Point is, I found out she wasn't in bed."

"She probably just went to the kitchen for a drink," said Demyx.

"Her bed didn't even look slept in," said Koxra. "And, before you say anything, yes, I did look in the kitchen. I've looked in just about every room in the Castle except for the bedrooms, the infirmary, and Vexen's lab. I just hope she's not doing anything that could get her in trouble."

"Well, I thought I heard footsteps earlier, but I looked up and didn't see anyone," said Demyx. "I was probably just imagining it."

"Do you know which direction they were going," asked Koxra.

"Toward the bedrooms, I think," said Demyx. "I think it was about a half hour ago. Wait, could that have been Vilx?"

"I just got done telling you that she wasn't asleep," said Koxra.

"How long ago did you decide it wasn't out of line to creep in her room," asked Demyx.

"Hmm, I guess it took about an hour or two to search the Castle," said Koxra, pretending that he had not brought up how inappropriate she had been. "So, you're saying she could've gone to bed while I was searching the Castle for her?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it," said Demyx. "She's probably already back in bed. Besides, she doesn't know how to portal yet, so what kind of trouble could she really get into?"

"You have a point there," said Koxra. "Maybe she was just outside on one of the towers. I didn't look outside."

"Maybe next time you should," said Demyx.

* * *

Vilx woke up to something brushing against her cheek. She opened her eyes and was face-to-face with Koxra's black cat, Nikki. Did that mean Koxra was awake or did Nikki try, fail, and come over to her room? She strained her ears and could hear the shower running.

She had no idea why Koxra would be in the shower now. She usually showered before she went to bed because she couldn't stand going to bed dirty. Was Nikki bored? Vilx shook her head. She couldn't exactly communicate with cats, so trying to figure out why Nikki had woken her up wouldn't work. Still, now that she was awake, she might as well get up.

Vilx got up and stretched just as the shower stopped running. Koxra slid the curtain back across the rod and fumbled for a towel when she saw the Psychic Image was awake.

"Jeez, I didn't think you'd be up yet. I knew I should've shut the door."

"Sorry," said Vilx.

"You _should_ be apologizing for making me run all over the Castle last night only to find that you snuck into bed while I was gone," said Koxra, glaring at her.

"What do you mean," asked Vilx, though she didn't see what good it was to act dumb. Koxra shook her head.

"Vilx, don't pretend. Where did you go when you weren't in bed last night? I know you sure as heck weren't in the Castle."

"Why were you looking in my room," asked Vilx. Koxra sighed.

"I already had to answer that for Demyx last night and I'd rather not get into it again. I just happened to look in your room. So, where were you?" Vilx bowed her head.

"I was…sitting…on a tower."

"You're a terrible liar, you know," said Koxra.

"Alright," said Vilx. "I was in the city practicing with Shadows. I know my flinching is a problem, so I wanted to get rid of it."

"Meaning what exactly," asked Koxra. "You thought it would be a good idea to go off and fight Heartless with no combat training?"

"I never said I was fighting them," said Vilx. "I was working at turning my flinching into dodging."

"And I guess I'll just assume that you've been doing this longer than just last night and that's why you've been looking so tired," said Koxra. "You should've told me. I'm supposed to be training you."

"I was already causing trouble with my problem," said Vilx. "I didn't want to cause any more."

"You've actually been causing me some trouble by _not_ telling me," said Koxra.

"I'm really sorry," said Vilx. "I was just trying to make things easier for you." Koxra sighed.

"Just forget it. I can't really do anything about what already happened."

"Ok," said Vilx. She raised her head and took in what Koxra was wearing. "Um, don't you think it would be a good idea to get dressed?" Koxra looked down at the towel she had wrapped around herself and laughed.

"Yeah, I can't go around wearing this all day." She disappeared through the doorway that led to her bedroom.

"Um, why exactly were you taking a shower," asked Vilx.

"I was running all over the Castle last night, looking for you and I didn't exactly feel like getting in when I came back. Guess that means I'll get two showers today. You know, you can get in if you want." Vilx blushed, grateful that Koxra couldn't see whatever stupid expression was on her face.

"Oh, right. I just got distracted. By the way, what's Nikki doing over here?"

"I knew I should've fed her _before_ I got in the shower. And here, she was sound asleep and I thought she'd be fine till I got out. I guess she woke you up, then?"

"Yeah," said Vilx as she entered the bathroom and began undressing. "It wasn't that big of a deal. I should be awake anyhow. Hold on, she's sleeping on my bed now." Koxra laughed.

"Rotten cat can't make up her mind, can she? Well, I might as well put food in her dish in case she wakes up later." Vilx turned on the shower.

"Is this normal for a cat?"

"It all depends on the cat, I guess. It's normal for Nikki, anyway. It's not like any two cats behave the same way. Well, I'll see you at breakfast."

* * *

**Sorry that this update took a while. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I have a job now. Well, that's part of it. The other part is that I'm getting way too distracted with playing Pokemon hacks.**


	5. Ch4 Old Friends and New Friends

**Disclaimer: I only own Koxra, Vilx, Cal, Oris, Nikki, and Pocket.**

* * *

"Why'd it take you so long to visit, Liv?"

"My name's Vilx now."

"Sounds cool."

"Oris, you think Sheldon is a cool name," said Cal.

"Sheldon _is_ a cool name," said Oris. Vilx briefly wondered if one of the green-haired girl's children would wind up with the name Sheldon. "So, what took so long?"

"That was _my_ question," said Cal. Oris stuck her tongue out at him.

"I wanted to wait until I learned how to come myself," said Vilx. Cal blinked.

"What do you mean 'learn how to come'?"

"I don't think it would be a good idea if I told you what I meant by that," said Vilx. "This group I'm part of does a lot of sneaking around to learn things, so it wouldn't be a good idea if people knew a lot about them."

"Still, you can tell us how you're getting along, can't you," asked Oris.

"I don't think I'm doing that bad right now," said Vilx. "I was pretty much a mess at first."

"So, you're talking to people," asked Cal.

"Mostly my mentor, Koxra," said Vilx. "Do you know what's going on at my house?"

"Can't really be sure," said Cal. "I haven't been over there since you left. Did you want to know about your dad?"

Vilx shivered. Cal had said before that he had an idea of what was going on, but did he know the whole story? Even if he did, Oris likely didn't know anything so it wouldn't be wise to bring it up now.

Did she want to know about her dad so she could avoid him or did some part of her still care for him? She was still having conflicting thoughts about that. Regardless, she had to know.

"Yes."

"I don't think he leaves the house much," said Oris. "Well, other than back and forth to the liquor store. You know he hasn't even filed a missing person's report?"

"Oris," Cal snapped. Oris scratched her head.

"Was I not supposed to tell her that?" Vilx bowed her head.

"It's okay." Had he tried looking for her at all? It seemed strange that he wouldn't report her missing since he would get so angry whenever she came home late. Perhaps he didn't know what to tell the police when they asked questions. It could also be possible that all that alcohol had impaired his thinking so badly that he no longer even noticed she was gone. Maybe he was drinking more. Had he given himself alcohol poisoning, died in the house, and had yet to be discovered? Had he been arrested for something he did while under the influence? Vilx wanted to know, but she was too terrified to set foot in that prison again now that she was free of it.

"Vilx!" She looked up and realized that Cal had to have been trying to get her attention for a while now.

"Sorry. I guess I spaced out for a while there."

"You were thinking about your dad," said Cal. She had been too obvious. Did he think that she had gone crazy? Well, wanting to know about her dad even after what he had done was pretty crazy. "I'm not questioning your sanity. I'm just wondering how you can possibly still care about him."

"He is my father," said Vilx. "What he did won't change that."

"It just doesn't seem right," said Cal. "After what he's done, how can you not hate him?" Vilx shrugged.

"Maybe I've been holding out hope that he'll go back to who he was before the alcohol. Like when Mom was still here. I'm not sure. I don't really get it myself."

"Still, if you want to know, we'll give you updates whenever you pop in," said Oris.

"Did you just volunteer me," asked Cal.

"What, you're saying you won't help?"

"That's not it! It's just that you shouldn't go and make decisions for other people!"

"If you were going to help out anyway, what's the big deal?"

"Oris!"

"I'm just trying to figure out what your problem is."

"Umm, if it's too much trouble, you don't have to," said Vilx.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," said Cal. "She was just getting on my nerves. Of course I'll help."

"You could've avoided upsetting her by not asking questions in the first place, bonehead," said Oris. Cal sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know why I put up with you. I really don't."

"Because you know you love me," said Oris with a smile.

"I wouldn't go that far," said Cal. "I'd say I at least like you, despite how annoying you are. In fact, I think I feel sorry for any guy you have dated, are dating, or will date in the future."

"That's not nice," said Oris. "I didn't hear anyone I dated complain about me being annoying." Cal blinked.

"Seriously?"

"Well, one of them said I was too childish, another thought I was too hyper, and then there was the one I broke up with because he was a bit boring," said Oris.

"How was he boring," asked Vilx.

"He had a one-track mind," said Oris. "If it wasn't about snowboarding, he didn't care. Not that snowboarding's stupid, but I got tired of hearing about it all the time."

"I'm still trying to figure out how anyone could date you and _not_ find you annoying," said Cal.

"You need to work on your communication skills if you ever expect anyone to want to date you," said Oris. "I might not really care, but most girls I've come across don't like being called annoying."

"Not thinking about setting me up with someone again, are you," asked Cal. "Because the last one talked so much that I had to practically yell that I didn't want to go out with her again."

"That doesn't sound that bad," said Oris. "Worse things have happened."

"Did I forget to mention that it happened in a crowded movie theater, embarrassed me, got her crying, and had us kicked out," asked Cal.

"Cal, why would you just yell at someone like that," asked Vilx. Cal sighed.

"Look, I lost my temper and it slipped out. I really wish I wouldn't have done it in public, though. I did feel bad about it when she started crying."

"I'm sorry," said Vilx.

"Still didn't get rid of that habit, did you," asked Cal.

"Well, I don't do it as much," said Vilx.

"Little Vilx is growing up," said Oris. Cal rolled his eyes.

"That's enough out of you today."

* * *

"So, how did you do?"

"A little better than usual."

"I meant with Axel. It's pretty obvious you're not very comfortable around him."

"I…uh," Vilx managed to say. It hadn't been a complete disaster. At least it went better than the mission she had with Larxene a couple weeks ago. Axel hadn't made her do all the work while he just stood there. "It wasn't that bad, actually." She decided to leave out the fact that she still flinched when he got closer than five feet. However, she had come a long way from not even wanting to be in the same room with him unless someone else was there.

"That's good," said Koxra. "Just out of curiosity, why are you so scared of him?" Vilx felt like a rock dropped into her stomach. She wasn't ready to tell the truth and didn't think she'd ever be. What would Koxra think of her? Still, she had to tell her something.

"His hair color. It's a couple shades off from someone I'm scared of."

"It's okay," said Koxra. "I don't think it sounds like a stupid reason."

"It's just that it's been like that since I met him and he didn't do anything to deserve it," said Vilx.

"So you feel bad because the hair color of this other person is almost the same as Axel's and that scares you," asked Koxra.

"Yes," said Vilx, though she was unsure where her roommate was going with this.

"You're feeling bad about something that you can't control," said Koxra. "That sounds a little ridiculous."

"I just can't help it," said Vilx. "I'm working at not being so scared, but—"

"It doesn't happen overnight," Koxra cut in. "It's okay. Axel's not offended. He's not the type to dwell on something like that. Sure he's confused, but it won't bug him unless it causes complications for him. _That's_ when you'll hear him complaining about it."

"That doesn't happen a lot, does it," asked Vilx. Koxra laughed.

"He hasn't been complaining about anything except not being able to get extra sleep recently."

"Couldn't he just go to bed earlier," Vilx suggested.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want extra sleep because he's tired," said Koxra. "I think he just likes sleeping. That's what he does most of the time when he has a day off."

"Didn't think he'd be the type," said Vilx.

"I swear he sleeps more than anyone else in the Castle, so, if I want to go somewhere on one of our days off, I have to make sure I don't bug him until after eleven," said Koxra. "The last time I did that, he opened the door and started throwing pillows at me. And all I could think about was why he needed five or six pillows to begin with."

"Maybe they were spares," Vilx suggested.

"I kinda think he just keeps them in there to throw at people who bug him too early on his days off," said Koxra. "Roxas had some thrown at him too. Still, at least all he throws are pillows."

"If you're right and he keeps them there just to throw at people who wake him up too early, he must really hate being bugged when he's trying to get extra sleep," said Vilx.

"Demyx told me that he hears crashes in Axel's room and finds him trying to hide broken alarm clocks when he sticks his head in the room to find out what the noise was," said Koxra. "Can't say if he broke them on purpose or if he knocked them off his nightstand by accident."

"Maybe it's a little of both," Vilx suggested.

"Yeah, that could be possible," said Koxra.

* * *

Demyx stumbled into his room and collapsed on the bed. How Lexaeus had managed not to break a sweat while fighting over twenty Guard Armors at once was beyond him. Why had there been so many anyhow? There had never been that many in Twilight Town before. As a matter of fact, Demyx couldn't recall even running into _one_ of them in that world. He vaguely remembered Roxas and Koxra mentioning something about fighting one there, but that had seemed like a long time ago.

"Not dead in there, are you?"

"What made you think I was," asked Demyx, sitting up.

"I heard some loud creaks and then I get up and find you laying there and not moving for the longest time," said Axel. "What'd Lex do to you?"

"Nothing," said Demyx. "It was all those Guard Armors." Axel smirked.

"And I guess you were running away from most of them and that tired you out?"

"There was nowhere I _could_ run," Demyx snapped. "There were at _least_ twenty of them and they had us pretty much boxed in! I had no choice but to fight them."

"_That_ many, huh," said Axel. "I'm _amazed_ you managed to handle them all." Demyx crossed his arms.

"Like _you_ could've done any better? They aren't exactly easy to fight. Especially not twenty of them at once."

"I doubt it was as hard as you're making it out to be," said Axel. "I fought ten by myself before and didn't have much of a problem, so I don't think doubling the number would give me too many problems. How many did you beat, anyway?" Demyx bowed his head and muttered something. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that."

"I said 'five', okay," Demyx snapped. "Lexaeus got the rest, but I only got five."

"Hey, calm down," said Axel. "You actually did better than I thought you would, considering who you were with."

"What do you mean by that," asked Demyx.

"Lexaeus finishes things up pretty fast, so I'm amazed he left you with five to yourself instead of getting them too," said Axel. "Maybe he didn't want you to feel like you were dead weight."

"Why did I have to go at _all_, then," asked Demyx.

"My guess is Saix caught you lounging around too much and told Xemnas," said Axel. "You really _should _do that less, you know. Or at least don't lounge in the middle of the Grey Area."

"Probably be safer in my room, then," said Demyx. "Can't see Saix coming in here."

"Well, he _did_ pay me an unannounced visit before," said Axel. "I can't even remember if he knocked. I guess he didn't think he had to since I had my door hanging open."

"That's you, though," said Demyx. "There's no reason for him to drop in on _me_."

"Kind of wish he wouldn't drop in on _me_," said Axel. "Can't say I really enjoy it anymore. But, the point is, if he was visiting me and the bathroom doors were open, he'd be able to see into your room. So, he'd be able to see if you were lounging in there." Demyx groaned.

"Great, now I have to come up with some new hiding places." Axel leaned against the wall.

"Or you could actually do your work. Just a thought."

"Nah," said Demyx. "Dodging work is more fun than actually doing it."

* * *

Vilx panted and clutched her shoulder. With her free hand, she casted Firaga at a Neoshadow that was sneaking up on Demyx. She was getting tired and didn't know how many more Heartless there were.

Demyx had been forced to create more water-clones after he had noticed the spot that the Neoshadow had been creeping through. He also had about ten Dancers join the fight and Vilx could hardly blame him. In fact, _she _would have an army of Nobodies if she could summon her own battalion. Wait a minute: the Dusks listened to any member! Why didn't she think of that sooner? Maybe it would give her a chance to catch her breath.

She ducked into an alley and focused on the Dusks. Five of them appeared and she directed them to the battlefield as she wiped sweat off her forehead. That was the most she'd managed to summon since she learned how to do it. It would have to do.

Not thinking she could summon up the mental concentration required for her telekinesis, Vilx summoned her scissors and proceeded to fight close range. She might not be able to do as much damage as some others, but she had gotten quick at avoiding attacks.

The Dusks and Dancers had managed to bring down several Neoshadows on their own, leaving Demyx and Vilx to deal with the Balloons that had joined the fight. Demyx struck them with blasts of water while they were occupied with his clones. Vilx, however, rolled underneath them and struck the underside, which she was hoping was a weak spot. It turned out to be an effective method, so she continued using it, praying that she would be able to time things right and not get sliced by the tentacles.

"Ack, this is so gross," said Demyx, wiping sweat off himself as the last Heartless disintegrated. Vilx stared wide-eyed as he drenched himself head-to-toe with water. "What? Didn't expect me to keep the sweat, did you?"

"I thought you'd do what a normal person does and take a shower back at the Castle," said Vilx as she eased herself to her feet. Her breathing had slowed down, but she still felt tired. Demyx shrugged.

"I didn't want to wait that long."

"But now you're drenched," said Vilx, rubbing her shoulder. "Do you really think Xemnas'll like it if you drip all over the Grey Area?"

"I'll just dry off, then," said Demyx, reabsorbing the water. "By the way, what's wrong with your shoulder?"

"Probably just a bruise," said Vilx. "I crashed into one of the buildings after I dodged one of the Neoshadows. So, I guess we're done here, then?" Demyx pulled out an index card that was thankfully only a little damp.

"It says to get rid of all the Neoshadows and Balloons in the area." He looked around for a couple moments. "It looks like we got them all, so let's RTC." Vilx blinked.

"How is that card not drenched?" Demyx shrugged.

"Maybe because I had it deep down in my pants' pocket. I wasn't actually thinking about it when I gave myself a shower a couple minutes ago. Good thing it isn't too drenched to read."

"I've been meaning to ask: why do you carry around cards with the mission information on them," asked Vilx.

"It helps with keeping me on task so Saix doesn't chew me out for taking too long or not doing the mission right," said Demyx. "I end up spacing out a lot and forget what I was supposed to be doing. Which reminds me, I don't want to get in trouble with Saix for taking too long on a mission either."

"Oh, right," said Vilx. "I guess we better get going before we get sidetracked again."

* * *

**This chapter has been waiting for me to finish it for so long that I'll probably have to go back and reread everything I already have written. I honestly forgot a lot of what was going on. I got caught up with a mixture of work and writer's block. I hope the latter leaves me alone.**


End file.
